The Woman in Black
by TheGeorgieboy
Summary: Josh lives with his dad, and up until recently believed that his mum was dead. But when he recieves a tip off that his mother is alive, his life is turned upsidedown.


**Prologue**

When I first came to Melophalos I was stunned by the amazing beauty of the place. It seemed alive, and no matter where you looked you could always see the gargantuan pulsating plasma sphere which bound the buildings like they were stuck in a beautiful prison.

The buildings themselves were tall and slender, and had an air of grace about them. They were black and covered in pinpricks of blue light, like they had been attacked by jewels. It was pure beauty, and the moment I stepped inside it was like the city was singing to me, telling me this was my home, and I listened, a regret I hold to this day.

I was so busy gazing at the city I hadn't realised my dad was already a few metres in front of me. I followed quickly, my head down like I had been told so many times. Try not to draw too much attention to myself, that's what my dad had told me so many times, and my mum before she was kidnapped. I thought of mum, this was why we were here, to try to save her. After about five minutes we stopped.

"Home sweet home!" said Dad. Although I would have said sour was a more fitting description. This area of the city was not so beautiful; in fact it was downright ugly! The windows were grimy and covered in soot. The walls, although black, were a dull black, and the colour was not paint, as I had originally assumed, but yet more soot. I had assumed life would improve when we moved here, but I was wrong.

**Chapter One**

**6 Years Later**

As she walked in her most noticeable feature was her jet black eyes. They shone in the dark light like obsidian. Her hair, cut into a tidy bob, was also black. Her face was young and elfin, and its pale colour contrasted with those dark eyes. Then she spoke.

"Hi, I need somewhere to stay overnight." Her voice seemed urgent, so I went over to the computer and booked her a room for the night. As I was doing this she walked over to the counter. She was wearing a tight leather jacket and leggings. On her feet she wore black leather boots up to her knees. On her jacket were white strips, and when she moved these glowed.

"It seems quiet round here at this time of night." She said.

"Well we're only a small business, just me and my dad, and a lot of potential guests go to the four star hotel two blocks down"

"Ah, well I prefer a quiet place anyway; big crowds aren't really for me."

"Well you're in room three, that's straight up the stairs, second on the left." I said.

"Thanks, how much will that be?" She asked

"15 credits." I said, even though I should have said 20.

"Oh come on!" She exclaimed, "No wonder you're not earning much!"

With that she drew out a full 200 credits from her pocket and handed it to me. This was more money than I had ever held and I was so stunned I didn't even notice her saying goodnight to me. I awoke from my trance just in time to see her walking up the stairs. I suddenly noticed a strange circle embossed on her back. When I was confident she was out of earshot I picked up my phone and dialled the number of my boss. I felt awful, I had expected someone cruel and mirthless, but this woman seemed so innocent. I didn't want to, but I had no choice, I had to save my dad. The phone rang three times, and then stopped.

"Who's there? Don't you know what time it is, I'm tryin' to get some sleep!"

"Boss, she's here." I mumbled.

"What? Who's there? Speak up boy!"

"The one you want, she's staying her, in this hotel." I had said it; I knew there was going back now.

A moment later, the phone went dead.

I waited for what seemed like a millennia, then I heard footsteps outside. Seconds later a group of more than twenty men had the place surrounded. Suddenly I wished that I hadn't handed her over, I loved my dad more than anything else in the world, but it felt wrong to hand someone innocent over in return for him. I pictured her family, waiting for her at home, not knowing that she would never return. Then my boss walked in and these thoughts were wiped from my mind.

He wore a dark suit and shades. His olive skin was scarred and he evidently hadn't shaved for a while. His hair was black and greasy, swept into a neat comb over. He had a look of authority to him, the kind of person you definitely wouldn't want to meet on a dark night.

"Where's the girl."

"Room three, straight up the stairs, second on the left." I said tentatively.

He strode past me towards the stairs, and as he did his jacket flapped open revealing pistol.

Then he had disappeared up the stairs, a moment later I heard a crash, a scream, gunfire, then silence.


End file.
